Research Technician

The post
The Faculty wishes to recruit a Research Technician to support the work of Dr Laura Kelley. This Royal Society funded post is available from 1^st September 2024 for a duration of three years.

Our research links sensory ecology, behaviour, and cognition to understand animal perception and communication (www.laurakelleyresearch.com). Many animals use signals of colour or size as indicators of quality in mate choice and male-male conflict. It is often assumed that these signals are processed linearly, where an increase in signal size results in a commensurate increase in perceived quality. However, signals are often not perceived linearly, due to sensory processes such as visual illusions, signal categorisation, and proportional processing. Our current research aims to quantify these processes in poeciliid fishes, with a particular focus on sensory processing during mate choice and male-male interactions. By investigating how perception can be affected by biotic and abiotic environmental factors, we will determine how sensory processes and signalling environment can affect signal form, behavioural outcomes, and the evolution of visual signals.

The successful applicant will be responsible for assisting with animal husbandry and data collection, working closely with the PI and other members of the lab. The post will be based at the University of Exeter in the internationally excellent Centre for Conservation and Ecology https://www.exeter.ac.uk/cornwall/research/facilitiesandcentres/cec/.

About you
The successful applicant will be able to work independently and as part of a team, assisting with animal care, lab administrative tasks, and data collection. They will also have an interest in sensory ecology and behaviour.

Applicants will be educated to first degree level or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study or equivalent experience and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to work collaboratively and assist with the work of others when needed.

What we can offer you
We offer some fantastic benefits including:

• 39 days leave per year
• options for flexible working
• numerous discounts at leading retailers
• onsite gyms on all of our campuses and a cycle to work scheme
• sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to six weeks full pay) and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• stunning campus environment in Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England

The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework). 

Further information
For further information please contact Laura Kelley, e-mail l.a.kelley@exeter.ac.uk.

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